A Detailed Guide to Asparagus Planting Time and Field Management Methods

Asparagus is a perennial herbaceous plant whose tender shoots are all used, known as the “vegetable of spring,” and it is cultivated throughout both northern and southern parts of our country. Below is an introduction to its planting time and field management methods, so growers everywhere should read carefully!

I. Basic Information About Asparagus

1. Asparagus Production Areas

Asparagus is the young shoot of the perennial herbaceous plant Asparagus officinalis, which can be eaten as a vegetable; it is also called Nandi sun, Di sun, lu sun, and so on. There are two types: the white asparagus, which is white and has not emerged from the soil, and the green asparagus, which turns green after emerging. At present, our country is the largest asparagus producer, with relatively concentrated production areas distributed in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, Heze, Shandong, and other places. In addition, asparagus grows and is distributed in Peru, Germany, France, Spain, the United States, Japan, and elsewhere.

2. The Value of Asparagus

Asparagus is rich in vitamins, trace elements, various amino acids, and so on. Regular consumption has effects such as reducing swelling and promoting urination, antioxidant effects, strengthening bones, lowering blood lipids and aiding weight loss, and anti-cancer effects. It can be stir-fried and eaten together with ingredients such as lily bulbs, pork, and chicken.

3. Asparagus Prices

At present, the average price of asparagus at the Beijing Dayanglu Agricultural and Sideline Products Wholesale Market is 12.5 yuan/jin, the average price at the Vegetable, Fruit and Fruit Products Wholesale Trading Market in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, is 10 yuan/jin, and the selling price of asparagus at the Beijing Shunxin Shimen Agricultural and Sideline Products Wholesale Market is 21 yuan/jin.

II. Asparagus Planting Time

1. For protected cultivation of asparagus, asparagus fields of more than 2-3 years are generally selected and planted in spring each year; generally, the 4th to 10th years after planting are the peak production period. If planting in the open field, seedlings are raised in April-May and planted in July-August; if planting in greenhouses, seedlings are raised in August-September and planting is carried out in October.

2. In East China, where winters are relatively warm, film is applied from January to early February to preserve heat; the harvest period is generally from late January to late March, and plant cultivation is carried out after harvest ends. In South China, film covering and tunnel closure are carried out in mid-December, sprouting occurs in mid-January, and the harvest period begins and continues until the end of April.

III. Asparagus Field Management Methods

1. Asparagus can be propagated from seed using small tunnels or greenhouses. Because the seedling stage is relatively long, it is suitable to use the nutritional pot seedling method for edible use; about 20 days after emergence, a certain amount of fertilizer should be sprayed so that the seedlings can grow vigorously.

2. Before planting asparagus seedlings, the soil should be deeply plowed comprehensively, and commercial organic fertilizer or decomposed farmyard manure, etc., should be used per mu. After deeply turning it into the soil, the ground should be leveled, and planting beds should be made and planting furrows opened.

3. After planting, when the plant height reaches 10 cm, open furrows on both sides of the planting row for topdressing. Apply 6-9 kg of urea and 4-6 kg of potassium chloride each time, once every two weeks, until two months before frost. After 2-3 years of plant cultivation, it can enter the protected cultivation stage. In the protected cultivation stage, starting around early April each year, spring mother plants are retained and grown, and at this time holes should also be dug to add fertilizer. Subsequent topdressing is mainly carried out once every 15-20 days according to plant growth.

4. During the growth of asparagus, attention should be paid to hollow spears, deformed spears, cracking of young stems, and so on, and the amount and frequency of fertilization and watering should be adjusted; in addition, attention should be paid to preventing and controlling diseases and insect pests such as stem blight, brown spot disease, white grubs, and mole crickets, using different agents according to different situations.

Asparagus is not very difficult to grow, but the soil for planting, the amount of fertilizer applied, the fertilizer ratio, the number of waterings and the intervals, and so on, are all very important, so everyone must pay close attention to them.